Cafe Asean

05/01/2007 Posted by bornandraisedherenyc

Cafe Asean disappointed me. The staff there were rather unpleasant despite an effort on the customer's part to be pleasant. The food is okay sometimes but it can be very variable, there are much better places, with more solid food quality, and staff that is much more pleasant than at Cafe Asean. I will not go back, I was very unhappy, particularly the attitude.

Pros: Good location

Cons: Unpleasant staff

03/17/2007 Posted by rbraimon

Picture it. St. Patricks Day, 2007. We scurried past the drunken debauchery spilling out from neighboring bars and pubs, and came upon a cute Pan-asian restaurant off a side street in the village. It was a blustery cold evening and Cafe Asean's windows were foggy and inviting. We sat near the gas heated lamps in the enclosed back patio and settled into a great meal. The Sotong calamari had a great dipping sauce and was light and crispy. Kari Kapitan (Chicken with coconut curry) was tender with a tasty sauce. Gaeng Kheow (Green Curry with shrimp and vegetables) was mildly spicy in a good way and very fresh. Salmon Goreng entree was crispy with a great pineapple curry sauce. It was later in the evening and the birthday party crowds were dispersing. Our service came from a rarest-of-rare breed of New Yorker - an optomistic and authenticaly nice waiter who actually enjoys his job. Post dinner chat was charming and refreshing. We left full, happy and eager to come back and try a few more dishes.

Pros: Friendly, Great Food, Inexpensive, Comfortable and no attitude

10/25/2006 Posted by if2

I just got back from dinner here. It was a fantastic meal. We had the Calamari with a mango sauce that had a light almost tempura-like breading with the most amazing sweet/spicy sauce. I had the Red Curry with Pumpkin and Beef which was a large portion with a great taste. It was very obvious that the ingredients were fresh and the dishes well prepared. It was so nice to find pumpkin in a dish, its an underrated flavor. The service was gracious and unobtrusive. This was a wonderful find, I will be back. The place itself is adorable. A tiny room filled with antiqued tables, tons of candles, and huge paper lanterns. Cash only.

Pros: Interesting and fresh tastes, great service, adorable decor

Cons: cash only

06/22/2006 Posted by funneltom

My girlfriend and I stopped in for our first time last Monday. We live in the area and have never seen this place. I must say, were coming back. The food was excellent and our waiter was so cool. The table we ate on was a little tiny, but the food/decor/service made up for it. ON TOP OF THAT IT WAS CHEAP!

Pros: Good service, cheap, GREAT FOOD

Cons: No credit cards

05/18/2006 Posted by degrusso

A friend told us about this little gem in Greenwich Village, Having lived in Paris for many years, it reminded me of a bistro in the Left Bank, everything is first rate, the amazing FOOD, the friendly, casual and easy going service, the ambience and of course the love, lovely, lovely garden, everything is so charming with excellent value. I love this place.

Pros: food, ambience, service

Cons: no credit card

02/24/2006 Posted by eatjesus

I read a lot of the reviews on this site, but if you're gonna try this place, check out a review from a paper or magazine, because the entrees are really hit or miss. I ordered bo luc lac, and it was prepared totally wrong. The beef was WAY overcooked, and the tomatoes and onions were served sliced instead of in chunks--impossible to eat with chop sticks or without a knife (which they don't provide). Also, they were out of our first choice bottle of wine, and then, instead of admitting they were out of our second choice, too, intentionally served us the wrong wine! On the plus side, the appetizers are way above average and the ambiance is great in either dining area.

Pros: Ambiance, Appetizers, Good value

Cons: Entrees, Small wine list, Fair-to-poor service

02/07/2006 Posted by bender6121

a friend of ours recommended we try the food so we stopped in last night. after looking at the menu for a few minutes we couldnt decide what we wanted! everything sounded tasty, so we asked one of the waiters if he could recommend something. after an extensive explanation of everything we pointed at we decided on the cari kapitan and a bee hun. THE FOOD WAS GREAT! and our waitor seemed to know the menu well. we ended with the flan desert which i could say wasnt nearly as good as the meal, but satisfying. good food, friendly service.. a must.

Pros: inexpensive, menu, service

Cons: desert

02/01/2006 Posted by tronnity

my first time here was great with a few friends. the second time here was horrendous. the service was slow and terrible. it's not often that one needs to ask for plates, menus, water, and other basic things from the waiters/waitresses. the food was great but service terrible.

Pros: Food, Quick seating

Cons: Service, Service, Service

01/12/2006 Posted by nycityhopper

Went there last month with some friends for holidays party, Foods was great and generous portion, Gotta try the Fillet of Snapper ,cozy embian, good crowd, friendly waiter and good service. We had great time and definately good place to get together with friends.

Pros: Good food, generous portion, friendly service

Cons: knee knock tables

12/15/2005 Posted by jassy

We had a full dinner: appetizer, entrée, dessert and wine. The bill came and we tipped a generous 20% despite the horrible behavior, rude manner and slow service. It was ONE CENT short of a full 20% tip and the waiter came running after us. He pointed out on the check the tip scale 15% is $$ and 20% is $$ and asked why he didnt get the full 20% tip. We couldnt believe the dispute! After such a bad experience, never wanting to return again, the waiter actually wanted his ONE CENT. And that is exactly what we did, we gave him an additional ONE CENT to reach his full 20% tip.

Cons: Rude service, Bad Manners